Then relax, and let Wet & Forget do the work for you. This is a heavy-duty cleaner that will kill mold, and scrub soot and buildup from brick. Wet & Forget works on any color of brick, including red bricks. Saturate the lichen with the solution, allowing 4 to 5 hours to dry before the chance of rain. Thank you for contacting Pulte. Weeding should be a regular part of your patio-cleaning regimen. This article was co-authored by Melanie Garcia. Scrub, power wash, or hose down your surface per your brick cleaners instructions. While cleaning methods like bleach or a pressure washer are harsh and dont last as long, Wet & Forget Outdoors gentle action will free your bricks of ugly growths and keep them clean for a year or more in most cases. Avoid using the high-pressure setting on pressure washers if brick is loose or decaying, as it can cause significant damage to the brick. Contributed toYour Home blogby Joshlin Grayson. For medium-sized surfaces, in a pump-up garden sprayer, mix 1 part Wet & Forget Concentrate with 5 parts water. All rights reserved. Is the picture above the before picture? We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Thanks for sharing your feedback. Thick liquid cleaners include the salt and soap cleaner, and the ammonia with soap/Fels-Naptha and pumice. You can prolong the life of your brick patio by cleaning it regularly. Spot clean stubborn stains when you encounter them. Brick cleaning solutions, solvents and acids can be harmful to plant life. The best time to clean brick is when its around 50 degrees. Use a broom with stiff bristles to brush the crevices and corners of your patio. 2022 Majestic Window Cleaning & Pressure Washing, Majestic Window Cleaning & Pressure Washing, Eight Foolproof Ways to Boost your Homes Curb Appeal, Eight Signs Its Time to Call a Professional Exterior Cleaner for your Business. Use a scrub to tackle hard-to-reach areas or difficult stains. Make sure to sweep and weed your patio every week to two weeks. If a certain side of your home doesnt get much sunlight, then mold, mildew, and moss can quickly form on the bricks. The cooler it is outside, the less you will have to worry about your cleaner evaporating or drying on the surface. Pull all weeds that grow along the ridges and canals between the bricks on your patio. Just be careful not to use maximum strength pressure. There have been a few close calls where someone almost got badly hurt from slipping. Therefore, it is a safer outdoor cleaner than most. If you decide to do it yourself, test a small area first to make sure the abrasive does not pit or damage the brick. For large brick surfaces, connect the Wet & Forget Rapid Application to your hose and saturate the surface completely. Brick patios are popular with homeowners who want to create an outdoor living space with old-world charm. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. We will be in touch with you shortly. For grime, mix equal parts laundry detergent and water. You can add a brick-cleaning solution to your pressure washer. While brick is durable and made to last, it too needs occasional maintenance, and requires different attention than other exterior surfaces when it comes to cleaning. Cleaning the brick this way will prevent you from getting fresh dirt on brick youve already cleaned. For stains, especially those caused by moss, mix one part bleach with 10 parts water. Also, how do you determine how much to purchase? Not only is it safe for the kids, it can also be very cost effective and leave your home with clean bricks. Spray the moss with Wet & Forget, allowing 4 to 5 hours to dry before the chance of rain. Wet & Forget Outdoor is ideal for painted bricks, too. Brick is a gorgeous, long-lasting material that adds value to your home. For regular cleaning of brick patios, you can opt for a milder cleaning solution. Ideally, it will be cloudy. It also retains its natural beauty longer than most other building materials. Cracks, chips and missing chunks of mortar can allow water to seep past the surface, causing permanent damage. If the bleach begins to dry on the brick, spray a small amount of water on the area to keep it moist. Use this easy, DIY brick cleaning guide to restore your home to its original charm so your house can shine during your next outdoor entertainment event. This solution can be surprisingly effective at removing basic stains from brick. Spray or apply the cleaner on the brick, scrub as you would during cleaning and then rinse. Brick patios that have not been sealed will require more time and effort to clean. TIP: After cleaning, seal your bricks with a siloxane or silane-based sealer. Youll want to apply a good heavy amount with a garden pump sprayer when the bricks are dry and just leave it. Expert Interview. Before cleaning, inspect the brickwork for any damage. Hey Ray, This dust is a combination of grout and the muriatic acid used in cleaning up after the grouting job. Brick is visually appealing because it looks naturally distressed, but you don't want it to get to the point of looking too distressed. Is it OK to use oxygen bleach to clean the surface before painting? Dry brick will absorb the solvent quickly, leaving you with discolored brick material and insufficient amounts of solvent. If it is stained or heavily soiled and the sprayer does not leave the brick clean, you may need to use a detergent. Return Home here. Follow these easy step-by-step instructions to repair cracks in your concrete. Check out some more helpful tips and Do-It-Yourself guides as well as our other guide on home exterior cleaning. And the problem isnt only cosmetic: some growths can actually scar your bricks. Check the brick after it dries to make sure the detergent has not caused any discoloring. Once youve rinsed the brick, allow it to air dry. Moss, mildew and layers of dirt trap moisture that degrades the surface of the brick. Whether you have a brick fence, brick walls, brick walkways, or any other type of brick exteriors, its helpful to learn how to clean and restore brick. Not sure what 100 square feet looks like? As a last resort, you can use abrasive blasting to remove stains and dirt. Were happy to have helped. Use a seal on your patio as a preventative measure. Cleaning methods involving muriatic acid require the use of full safety gear - rubber gloves, safety glasses and a respirator. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/1\/1b\/Create-Homemade-Brick-Cleaner-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Create-Homemade-Brick-Cleaner-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/1\/1b\/Create-Homemade-Brick-Cleaner-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/aid3333497-v4-728px-Create-Homemade-Brick-Cleaner-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"
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